Novice Nurse Role

The transition from a novice nurse to a competent nurse is already challenging and even more difficult when the charge nurse position is promptly given. Despite of the complexity of the charge nurse role base on literature the provided attention for formal training was little or none. The aim is to support the novice nurses on their successful transition thru competency and orientation. It was evident that orientation checklist and competency are recommended effective strategy to guide novice nurses on performing the charge nurse roles and responsibilities.

KEY WORDS: novice nurse, charge nurse, orientation, competency, Frontline leaders

According to the most recent census conducted on March 2015 there are 3,083,487 professionally active registered nurses in the United States (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2015). However, despite of this enormous number of nurses the health care system is still and continuously short-handed. In today’s busy nursing units the charge nurse is inevitably essential in a day-to-day unit operation. Charge nurse’s role is

299). Many newly hired or inexperience nurses are commonly assigned to take the Frontline position despite the fact that these nurses are new to the workplace and the profession. In some instances, novice nurses are needed and designated without due consideration to carry the heavy duties and responsibilities that should be for the most experience nurses. Rock (2014) and many other nurses, reported that the charge nurse position was appointed by none or little formal education or training. “In the current environment, nurses are often placed in leadership situations without the needed competencies and skills to meet these challenges and other important organizational imperatives” (Sherman et al., 2011, p.